Do Pats fans deserve an explanation?

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If you haven't read this morning's SRO post about Wes Welker, conspiracies and the Bill Belichick silent treatment, please do so now. When you're done, come on back.

We'll all wait . . .

OK, so after that post, we got the following response from Twitter follower @NewDirty9:

@csnne @rich_levine nothing bothers BB, but fans stuck with this team thru 1 win seasons spygate scandal. And we get 0 answers about anythin Smitty (@NewDirty9) September 19, 2012It's not the first time I've heard something like this from a Patriots fan, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't wrestled with the concept myself. After all, it's not always easy to care so much and invest so much time and energy into a team, while at the same time feeling like you're in the dark on so many matters of importance. Especially when it comes to a player like Wes Welker.

Welker's spent the last five years working his ass off for this coach, this team and its fans. He's taken so many brutal hits, perhaps quite literally taken years off his life and to see him jerked around like this can leave a pretty sour taste in your mouth. To have no explanation for why he's being jerked around? That's even worse.

But when it comes down to why Patriots fans put up with this kind of thing from Belichick, I think NewDirty9 answers the question in his tweet.

From 1989-1993, the Patriots posted five straight losing seasons, during which they went a combined 19-61. There was a one-win season. There was a two-win season. There was WAY TOO MUCH HUGH MILLEN. And yes, the fans who withstood those horrible years deserve an unbelievable amount of credit, respect and admiration from the franchise. They deserve, for instance . . .

More than a decade of cheering for one of the most dominant teams in NFL history.

See what I mean? Sure, in a perfect world, you'd like a coach who's not so insanely protective of every aspect of his team. A coach who let's the fans in and makes them feel a part of the process. But, what can you do? Is that really so much better than what we have now?

Either way, I know that what we have now is better than what we had back then.

I don't care if Bill Belichick boycott's every press conference for the rest of his time in New England, I'd rather be in the dark than spend another five years in the AFC basement.

Rich can be reached at rlevine@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Rich on Twitter at http:twitter.comrich_levine

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